In the past, some vehicle suspension members included a relatively complex body formed by a casting or a forging process. While these components typically functioned as desired, the costs associated with creating these components were relatively high.
Other known suspension members include first and second stamped sheets interconnected to one another. These designs may have accomplished the goal of creating a lower cost suspension member but concerns relating to structural behavior exist. For example, some known suspension arms are formed by welding several portions of the stampings to one another. Distortion due to the heat input during the welding process imposes challenges when attempting to achieve component dimensional repeatability. Furthermore, existing designs may not configure the suspension component to minimize weight while maximizing stiffness and buckling parameters.
Typically, the thickness of the first and second metal sheets is based on the suspension member geometry as well as the mechanical interconnection method used to couple the first and second metal sheets. Opportunities may exist to optimize the geometry and vary the interconnection method to reduce the gauge of the metal sheets to further lower component cost and weight. Accordingly, a need in the art exists for a structurally robust, low cost suspension member.